Orchids and Roses
by Kirabaros
Summary: Magda gets a Valentine's gift of roses and orchids. Who could they be from? A Valentine's Day treat and how Connor actually isn't such a bastard after all.


**Orchids and Roses**

Magda was used to surprises but they were always associated in a bad but not too bad way. She was used to the bullshit peppered with moments of clarity and serious talking from her challenge case that she had been assigned to ever since he had been picked up out in the middle of nowhere. She had come to expect it and it was like the norm. What she didn't expect was the normal kind of mice surprise that was waiting on her desk that morning.

It was a small vase of flowers. And not just any flowers but roses and orchids together. It had her blink in surprise when she first saw them on her desk that morning. She had never seen anything so beautiful as that arrangement and it made her afraid to touch it. So she just stood there staring at it, admiring it.

"Oye, decided to spruce up the place?"

Magda rolled her eyes slightly at the voice and turned on her heel to meet her challenge case head on. "As a matter of fact, no. They were there when I came in. Now what do you want, Connor?"

Connor looked at Magda and glanced at the flower arrangement before shrugging his shoulders, "Nothing much but to offer breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Magda looked at Connor with a dubious expression.

"Yes. That whole bit of nonsense about it being the most important meal of the day." Connor gestured while raising his brow at her.

"And why would you ask me?"

"Just being nice, Mags." Connor shrugged at that. "Unless you want to wait for your secret admirer."

"I told you to stop calling me that," Magda shot back. She felt her temper rise since he was just brushing off the offer like it was nothing. "And don't start on that. I know what day it is."

"And I said that I will when I get bored," Connor retorted with a saucy grin as he crossed his arms over his chest. He peered at Magda as if to challenge her to say otherwise. "And I was offering to make up for the fact that I was an arse during yesterday's torture session."

"And if you cooperated, you would find that it wasn't torture but healing," Magda countered in a huff but tempered a bit at the fact that he was trying to apologize for giving her a bull session that ended up with her threatening to go to Cormack with the latest incident and to kiss and semblance of going back on duty goodbye. It had been a low and hard blow but she recalled the look that entered his eye before he got up and left.

"I do cooperate. You just don't ask interesting material," Connor grinned as he leaned against the doorframe. He asked, "So are you going to come or not?"

Magda felt indignation at the manner he spoke in and crossed her own arms over his chest. "No way. If I were to go out to breakfast, it would be with the one who gave me the flowers and most certainly not you."

Connor stared at Magda for a time and studied her response. He replied, "Alright then princess. Have it your way."

Magda blinked as he straightened up and left without so much as one of his usual comments that would have her chuck her DSM book at his head. He had never done that before and it had her wondering what was going on. She stood there before turning back towards her desk and seeing the flowers. She couldn't help but smile as she went about during her day.

The day went strangely well but also empty. Not once did Connor drop by to tease or heckle her and she found that she missed it. It made her feel bad that she said those things to him. She knew he had a tough skin since he gave it back as good as he got when he was hit with an insult. This though, it felt different and she couldn't stand it. She decided to go find him and maybe a small session to get them back on friendly footing.

She went to all the usual places that she knew he had access to and where he could be found. She found herself getting more and more depressed that she had just missed him or he hadn't been by that day. She took a break for lunch and went to the mess hall. She knew that he went there with everyone else. Like everywhere else though, she didn't see him and stifling disappointment, took the food she had back to her office.

The flowers were still there but there was something else added to it. It was a small card with her name on it. The handwriting was beautiful like an engraving but it was handwritten. She picked it up and opened it to find that there was a little verse written in it. It was like something out of a greeting card and it wasn't from any known poet but an original verse since it was personalized for her. It had her wondering who on base it would be that was giving her this.

"Ready for the bull session?"

Magda nearly dropped the card and turned to see Connor in the doorway looking like he was weary about something. It had her frown as she held the card in her hand. "Is that all this is to you?"

Connor walked in with a sigh and sat in the chair that was his. Magda frowned at it as she walked over to her seat. He was sitting and looking like something was bothering him. She wondered if he was regressing or if he had another nightmare and she had been too preoccupied to notice that because he had a way of riling her up. She had to ask, "What's wrong? How are you feeling?"

"Like a shit arse."

"Can you elaborate?"

"Not sure I can." Connor shuffled in his seat and looked at his knee since he had crossed his legs. "Not even sure I understand it but I can say I fucked things."

"Trouble with the men?"

Connor looked at her with a raised brow and a slight frown. "Them? They have a problem with me. I'm the crazy one."

"You're not crazy," Magda replied with quick reassurance. "You have…"

"I know bloody well what I have," Connor interrupted, raising his voice slightly. "Bloody PTSD and you would too if the people you thought had your back shot you in the back literally." He sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. "You'd bloody have it if that happened."

"Well… betrayal is a hard thing to get over…"

"Not really something you can get over, Gaines."

Magda flinched at that. Connor had never called her by her last name and she found that she didn't like it. She had to be the professional though and countered with, "Alright, work through. Betrayal is hard to work through."

"Right. It's a walk in the park."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what do you mean?"

Magda stared at Connor. She had never seen him like this before; like his feelings had been trampled on. She had never known the man to be like that and it worried her. She was used to him having an outburst as part of his PTSD but this… She folded her hands on her lap and took a deep breath. "I didn't mean that it was easy, Connor. You have made a lot of progress over the last year and a half. This is… a bump in the road."

Connor shot her a dubious look. Magda could tell that he wasn't buying it. He replied, "A bump in the road? More like a puddle of piss all this talk." He stood up and said, "You know maybe I should go. I'm too mad and I don't want to take it out on you."

"But you need to talk about what makes you angry," Magda protested as she followed him towards the door.

"You want to talk?" Connor wheeled around and looked at Magda in the eye. "I'm bloody pissed because I fucked up."

"About what?"

Connor pursed his lips and turned away. He moved towards the door and opened it and leaned against the frame. "Don't bother asking. It's not worth it. Just… look at the pretty flowers and think of the bloke that is your idea of a gentleman."

He was gone before Magda could say anything. She stood there, not sure what happened. She wasn't even sure what that was. It was most she had ever seen about him spilling his feelings and yet he wasn't willing to go more into depth. It only told her that it was deep seated or he wasn't even sure about what it was fully. Normally she would have persisted by following but she didn't this time. Instead she stayed and went back to her desk.

The flowers were beautiful and the verse was… It had Magda look at them for a long time. It did sound like it was from a dream guy or a gentleman as Connor called him. That puzzled her too since he called any guy who was nice to her a regular pansy and in a fake Scottish accent. She thought about it a lot as she sat there and her 'gentleman' that came to mind was Connor. It had her baffled since she would think that but it was absurd.

She shook her head and didn't think much more about that idea. Instead she thought about what to do for Connor since he was acting off. She suspected he had a nightmare and was just trying to process but it touched him in a more serious way. She suspected maybe something to do with his family since that was a sensitive topic and it depended on his mood when their sessions revolved around them. And surprisingly enough were the most productive.

The topic had her thinking about her own family, her twin nephews and her sister raising them alone. It made her miss them. She twisted to pick up a picture she kept of them and held it up to take a look. She shook her head as she set it back down to finish her work for the day. She did have other patients and her challenge case had a habit of dropping in.

Nothing happened the rest of the day as Magda picked up the vase of flowers to take them back to her room. She tucked the card into her pocket and adjusted her grip on the vase. She almost dropped it when she reached to grab her bag but it was saved when a pair of hands grabbed it and a familiar voice said, "Oye. Almost lost it there."

Magda straightened out to see Connor holding the vase in his hands like it was an egg. "Just a little mishap."

Connor hummed at that as he looked at the vase with a contemplative eye. "Well, it'd be a shame to lose something that brightened your day." He raised his eyes to look at her.

"Thank you," Magda replied as she took in the look he was giving her. She reached to take it but he didn't release it. "I can take it now," she said.

"I know but…" Connor tapped the glass vase gently with his fingertips and looked down. "I can carry it for you."

The tone had Magda look up at him. It was gentle and a little shy. She wasn't sure of what to say and was surprised when Connor added, "And… I want to apologize for my outburst earlier."

Magda looked at him. She was surprised at this turn of events. She knew that he would apologize when he was an ass. The manner though was different. He usually was his bastard self but now… She found that she liked the tone he had. She had a liking for his voice in the first place but all she ever heard was the tone that people had them thinking he was an ass. This was different and she found that she wanted to hear more of it. Unable to voice that and realizing that he was making it up to her, she nodded her agreement.

It wasn't a long walk to the barracks where her room was but Magda thought it was a little short. She thought about picking where they left off but decided against turning it into a therapy session. She doubted that he wanted that and in all honesty she didn't want to fight with him. So she struggled what to say that wasn't going to end up with him clamming up.

As it turned out she didn't have to say anything. Connor spoke in a low and gentle tone, "I never understood why roses are considered romantic or who decided that was such."

"And you're an expert?" Magda couldn't help but tease him but tempered it to be gentle about it.

"I consider myself knowledgeable," Connor admitted as he held the vase in his hands like it was an IED or bomb; he held it with the utmost care. "Perks of knowing your mother's quirks. And your da's."

"Your parents gardened?"

Connor shrugged at that, "Mother, mostly but it was something they did together. A lot of things they did have a reason that goes back to when they were younger. Da was a soldier and Mother was with intelligence. Lot of scrapes and near misses. Makes you think about things. And I get that."

Magda didn't want to spoil it but she had to know, "Meaning what happened to you."

"Something like that."

It was offhand and Magda decided to let it go. Instead she backtracked to the gardening, "So is it just flowers or do you know other things about gardening?"

"It's an English thing," Connor teased as his saucy grin came back. "It's as common as having a bathroom and running water. But not all us Brits and adopted Brits know gardening."

"So like a square is a rectangle but not all rectangles are squares."

"Hooah as Mother would say. Da liked her Yank expressions and she made him laugh when she tried his." Connor looked up at nothing in particular as he kept pace. He was quiet for a few minutes before he continued, "I really don't understand the roses thing." He shook his head and chuckled while looking at the vase.

Magda decided to bite on that and asked, "Well what do you think?" She stopped and looked at him with a serious expression.

Connor took in her expression as he stood there. "That roses are overrated," he replied, "That if a bloke wants to give flowers it should be something that reflects the lucky girl." He shifted the vase to one hand and fingered one of the roses, "Roses… maybe has that softness and the thorn… so clichéd. Orchids are different. They are delicate but they thrive on neglect meaning you don't have to water them as much and they bloom year round bringing that ray of light just at the right moment. Color is not that bad."

Magda looked at the orchids. They were a fiery orange that blended with the peach and light red roses. "It fits."

"Aye," Connor agreed with an appreciative eye. "Red meaning passion. Again clichéd but the orange red… fire, drive and not willing to take shite no matter how bad. And courage."

Magda stared at Connor as he appreciated the flowers. This was another side that she had been made privy to and one he was willing to share and it wasn't forced. It was what made it all the more special. She studied him as he looked thoughtful while stroking the roses and noted that he never touched the orchids.

"Oh, you don't want to touch orchid blooms or you can kill them. Like butterflies." Connor looked at the orchids and his gaze became distant as he said, "Beautiful and yet to touch them means they can be ruined."

It was gone when he turned back towards her and handed her the vase. He smiled and said, "Well since I've seen you back I'll take my leave." He gestured at the door to the female barracks.

Magda took back the vase and blinked at the change in demeanor. She managed to thank Connor and said, "I'll be sure to note that you are a gentleman."

"Shouldn't," Connor teased, "It'll sully the fact that I'm the crazy hermit that stays at the airport." He chuckled at the old joke that became a common saying on base the past year. He sobered and said, "Good night, Mags."

"Don't call me that," Magda replied but there was no heat to it.

"I'll stop when I'm bored," Connor replied grinning before turning to head back to where he had been put up for rack time. He paused when he was a few feet away and turned expectantly to wait for her to enter.

Magda took the hint since he looked like he would stay there all night if he had to and went in. She made it to her room and set the vase on her desk and put her things down. She went about getting ready for bed and thinking about her conversation with Connor. It was odd yes, but it was progress since he willingly initiated the conversation and he told more about himself rather than his usual talking but not telling. She thought that it might smooth things over for tomorrow since he more than likely would drop in even if it was to tease her.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't realize she had found the card that accompanied the flowers until she looked to find it in her hand. She opened it and read the verse. As she read it, her eyes widened slightly and then turned into a frown as she looked at the window. Could it be?

The thought was dismissed as ridiculous since there was no possibility. She looked at the verse again and the writing and thought about everything that had gone on that day. She shook her head and dismissed it as being crazy. The idea was crazy, right? Then the thought had her panicking about what would happen in the morning.

As it turned out she didn't need to worry. If anything Connor was back to his usual self and gave nothing away. The only thing that she was able to engage with was gardening and while he was amicable to that, he would only go into things like the best growing conditions. It led Magda to believe that it was a fluke or something. It wasn't all that bad since he willingly talked about it and his demeanor shifted to occasionally being a bastard rather than a bastard all the time, like he was making an effort to be nice to her.

She took it as it went since the discussion never progressed beyond that night. It changed though when her birthday came around a couple months later and she found a potted orchid sitting on her desk. It was the same one as the cut ones and it was accompanied by a birthday card. She looked at the fiery red orange and the card and raised her brow.

"Seems like your admirer's at it again, no?"

Magda turned to see Connor leaning against the doorframe with his saucy grin. He looked ready to spar with her verbally but there was something in that expression. She held the card in her hand and it then occurred to her. She smiled back and said, "Seems like it. Made my day."

Connor merely grinned as he replied, "Good cause I feel like talking about gardening today."

* * *

 **A/N:** A little Valentine's Day treat on how Connor tells Magda he likes her. Cute Connor/Magda fluff for you to enjoy.


End file.
